It is right in the middle of the year with temperatures almost at their all-time low, but it is not the winter blues that are causing distress in some quarters of Moletjie, a sprawling hinterland northwest of Polokwane in Limpopo.
In this neck of the woods, at the onset of winter, it is almost lockdown as initiation schools get underway in bushes and on riverbanks.
With over 50 close-knit villages, Moletjie is a mountainous region. The practice of initiation is still observed under the chieftaincy of Kgoshi Kgabo Moloto III – even though it clashes with other traditions, including Christianity and other social and sporting activities that must come to a standstill in deference to it.
Following the graduation ceremony of the heir to the throne, Nare “Kabela” Moloto and his 2022 cohort, the chief announced that 2023 will be the year in which girls will undergo initiation for the first time.
The ceremonies are currently underway at Chebeng, Ga-Hlahla, Ga-Rampuru, Moshate and Makgodu with the graduation ceremony planned for July 15.
For the initiates, undergoing these initiations is a form of honour. The practice is considered a qualification into adulthood. It is a source of pride for young men and women.
But this practice in Moletjie is different from the Nguni ones, which take place at mountains, and which entail the cutting of foreskins.
Although these rituals are executed on open savanna, they are shrouded in secrecy in a language understandable only by the alumnae and undergraduates.
Initiation schools’ coordinator on behalf of the Moletjie Royal House, Lelatela Moloto, said the secrets of initiation schools are not discussed in public.
“There are strict protocols when it comes to the business of initiation schools. We don’t even discuss that with the media practitioners who have not attended initiation schools” said Moloto.
Aptly known as “Dikoma” in the Sepedi language, initiation schools in Moletjie take precedence over almost everything else, putting a moratorium on wedding celebrations and all forms of entertainment.
The rite of passage for young men and women into maturity is a watershed moment; it brings to a stop the social order in the many villages.
Loud music at drinking joints, church services, sports events and outdoor activities are forbidden, especially after dusk.
Limpopo Softball Association deputy chairman, Benny Boshomane, confirmed their domestic leagues have been suspended for the duration of the initiations.
“We decided to suspend all our activities to allow the initiation process to be concluded to avoid any collision with these schools,” said Boshomane.
Night movements have curfews regulations reminiscent of the Covid-19 days. When disobeyed, this could have dire consequences for any nocturnal roamer.
Allegations of vigilantism by assailants who attack villagers in their own homes are rife, while teens are forced into involuntary initiation schools.
A resident from Ga-Phaudi, whose identity cannot be revealed to protect the identity of her underage brother, said her sibling was accosted by a group of men who took him to the veld.
The men allegedly demanded money from his parents for the teenager’s enforced initiation.
She said: “We were shocked and angry because as a family of Christians, we don’t believe in this practice. And for these hooligans to demand money from us was just utterly disrespectful.”
The provincial government has approved 587 initiation schools, among them the Moletjie-based schools which started on June 16 with 328 schools for males and 259 for females.
MEC for cooperative governance and traditional affairs Basikopo Makamu emphasised the need for safety at the schools as stipulated by the Northern Province Circumcision Schools Act.
No traditional surgeon is allowed to perform rituals without a certificate of fitness issued by a registered medical practitioner.
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